You have no doubt been hearing a lot about the Paris agreement and know that it pertains to climate change, but are too embarrassed at this stage to ask for an simple explanation of what it's all about.

That's where we come in. Here's an simple explanation of what it's all about.

First, you need to know what came before the Paris agreement.

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

The Convention entered into force on March 21, 1994, and now has near-universal membership. It has been ratified by 197 countries. It represented the first time there had been universal recognition that there were a global warming problem.

It called for:

"The stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human) interference with the climate system".

The Kyoto Protocol

Though adopted on December 11, 1997, the Kyoto Protocol only entered into force on February 16, 2005, due to a complex ratification process.

It essentially operationalised the Convention. While the Convention only encouraged industrialised countries to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions, the Kyoto Protocol forced them to commit to doing so.

Paris Agreement: A reaction to the growing threat of global warming

At the Paris Climate Conference, in November/December of 2015, the need to accelerate anti-global-warming efforts was acknowledged.

The aim was to strengthen the worldwide response by:

Bringing all nations into a common cause, combating climate change and adapting to its effects

More ambitiously to pursue efforts to limit that rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius

The Paris Agreement came into force on November 4, 2016.

The agreement caps and reduces the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), described as the world's fastest-growing climate pollutant, in a gradual process beginning by 2019, with action by developed countries including the United States, the world's second-worst polluter.

More than 100 developing countries, including China, the world's top carbon emitter, will start taking action by 2024, when HFC consumption levels should peak.

Pull your weight, the world will be watching

The Paris Agreement focussed on nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which basically amounts to each country doing the best it can, depending on its specific circumstances. Each country has its own set of targets.

This means each country has to show that it is pulling its weight by reporting back regularly on its emissions and implementation efforts.

The Agreement states:

"Developed [countries] should continue taking the lead by undertaking economy-wide absolute emission reduction targets. Developing [countries] should continue enhancing their mitigation efforts, and are encouraged to move over time towards economy-wide emission reduction or limitation targets in the light of different national circumstances."

The idea is that a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn't be fair when wealthy industrialised countries are in a better position to move towards renewables without jeopardising their economies (plus they've been polluting for longer).

This is to reinforced by a global stocktake every five years to assess whether everyone is on track. The first of these stocktakes will take place in 2023.

Australia's target

On ratifying the Paris Agreement on November 9, 2016, Australia indicated it would reduce emissions to 26-28 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030.

This target represents a 50-52 per cent reduction in emissions per capita and a 64-65 per cent reduction in the emissions intensity of the economy between 2005 and 2030.